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  • Trevor Bayne: It’s appreciating the good days, not getting down on bad days

    Trevor Bayne: It’s appreciating the good days, not getting down on bad days

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”233″][/media-credit]“Winning doesn’t come easy when you get to these top levels. To me, it’s been taking it in, appreciating the good days, not getting down on the bad days. It’s such an up and down sport. It’s really a roller coaster. You also got to ride the momentum when you have it and stay behind your guys and work hard together. It’s all about chemistry and having a team behind you that believes in you.”

    For Trevor Bayne, this season has been a roller coaster ride along with the question as to how many races he is going to be able to compete in this season.

    In the Nationwide Series so far this year, Bayne has finished in the top-11 in every race this year.

    “I think that’s about all you can ask for with the limited amount of people and cars we have because we weren’t preparing on running of the races,” he says while sitting third in points, 29 points behind Elliott Sadler.

    Bayne’s Roush-Fenway Racing (RFR) knew coming into this year they would be running a limited schedule because of the lack of sponsorship they currently had.  Bayne says it’s tough. He adds that it used to be if you ran well, you’d be able to find that sponsorship.

    “Now its about relationship, who you know and that’s makes it tough,” the 21-year-old says. “We’ve done a great job on and off the track and we should have something going on.

    “It’d be great to get with a company, work with them and represent them to have some kind of long-term security in this sport. So being with a company and growing their brand is what helps you stay in this sport for a long time and that’s what I want to do.”

    Bayne is trying to put the money together for this season, launching a campaign where fans can sponsor him in August at Bristol Motor Speedway. He says it started due to a guy from his hometown in Knoxville, Tennesse.

    “He has a couple different websites and a couple different companies.  He’s kind of an innovator and investor,” he explains. “He came up with the idea and decided to put it on the car,”

    Fans can go to and for a $20 sponsorship, they can get their name on the car and a certificate they can print saying they sponsored. If they want their photo on the car, then they can sponsor Bayne for $99.

    “It’s taken off pretty really well,” Bayne says. “A lot of people have gone on and put their name on the car, their picture on the car and I think it’s a great idea. We would love to do as many races as we can do by getting funded by the fans so the more people give, the more I get to race and the more track I get to go to and run for the championship.”

    Bayne started in racing at the age of five as both his grandparents were racers.  One involved with cars and one involved with boats.

    “My family knew speed,” he tells the story. “I actually got my first dirt bike when I was three years old and started riding around with training wheels, and when I turned four, took the training wheels off. When I turned five, I got my first go-kart, went to the race track and just fell in love with it. From the first time I went there, I knew that’s what I wanted to do and I never looked back from that.”

    He has continued to move up the racing ladder, one of the toughest challenges he has found is finding that opportunity.

    “I’ve always been very blessed, always came across the right people at the right time and the opportunity has been there,” he says. “For a lot of people, they don’t get that. Some of the best racecar drivers don’t get the chance cause they don’t come across the right people. So I’m blessed, but it’s still an issue.”

    Bayne adds that it is still about finding that opportunity to connect with the sponsors, saying that “Every driver thinks they’re the best – it’s just convincing everybody else of that to get the support around you and behind you so you can go to the race track and show it.”

    After racing the first 28 races of the 2010 Nationwide Series season for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2010, he caught the eye of Jack Roush and joined RFR in October of 2010. While racing for Roush, he has also had the opportunity to form a good friendship with teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    “We push each other,” he says. “Ricky is one of the best young drivers there is so having him as a teammate, it pushes me and I think that’s the same return for him. When one of us qualifies top three and the other qualifies 10th, we know we got to get on our game. We both feel like we can get it done and we want to push each other as hard as we can. We have fun while we’re doing it. It’s cool that we can stay friends and not get too competitive.”

    Jack Roush then helped Bayne land a limited schedule Sprint Cup Series ride with Wood Brothers Racing.

    “I love the Wood Brothers,” Bayne says. “I couldn’t ask for a better organization, or family to drive for. It seems weird calling them an organization cause they’re so much just a family.”

    In just his second Cup race with the Wood Brothers in 2011, Bayne set the world on fire, winning the Daytona 500.

    “I wish I could’ve soaked it in more because it happened so fast, I didn’t realize what was going on,” he says. “I was in such a whirlwind there so I didn’t get to soak it all in. I think slowly it’s kind of coming to me that we actually that.”

    Bayne says looking at pictures of everybody smiling in victory lane, the moment is still surreal.

    “That was the coolest thing that I could ever do in my career, even if I win another Daytona 500 or a championship,” he says. “I think that was the biggest shock I could have ever made and just do it with the Wood Brothers and their family and just the way it came together was just so picture perfect.”

    Going back and forth between the two organizations has given Bayne a look at the best of both worlds.

    Looking down the road five years in advance, Bayne says he sees himself as either a Sprint Cup Series Champion or at least contending to the make the Chase, but it all “depends on the opportunity, where I’m at, the sponsorship and how much I get to race.”

    Whether Bayne is at the track or away from it, he stands by his belief for God and before going to Daytona this year, he took a trip to Africa to help the people there and says it was incredible.

    “It’s just unbelievable the joy that they had,” he says. “The joy that they had, the peace, the smiles on their faces even though they’re living in shacks, mud huts. We got to do a lot of outreach and ministry stuff and led about nine people to Jesus. I felt like it was a really successful trip. I really felt like God was behind us on it and I enjoyed it a lot.”

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: FONTANA FUN TIME

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: FONTANA FUN TIME

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will roll onto the massive Auto Club Speedway for Sunday’s running of the Auto Club 400. This massive, two mile, oval has always been conducive to five wide, full throttle, racing. On the opposite extreme is the fact that fuel mileage has often been a major factor in the conclusion of a race at this speedway. Next Sunday’s Auto Club 400 could turn out to be a true test regarding how to save fuel with the new electronic fuel injected engines.

    The Auto Club Speedway also has a reputation of turning up surprises towards the end of their events that greatly influences which driver gets to park his car in victory lane. A case in point came during the final lap of last year’s race when Kevin Harvick stole the win from Jimmie Johnson coming off of turn four with the checkers in sight. The slide job Harvick pulled to steal that win more than earned him the nickname: “The Closer.” The video highlights of that moment were stunning, but imagine the excitement felt by the fans who were on their feet to watch this move in real time.

    It could very easily happen again this year. There are still some good tickets, and special packages, available for Sunday’s race. Check out the details at www.autoclubspeedway.com or call 1-800944-RACE. As the speedway has been saying in their current marketing campaign: “it’s GO time.”

    THE STORY BREAKDOWN

    Will the Auto Club 400 break the current 2012 streak this Sunday? So far this season the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has ran four races that has turned up four different winners from four different teams representing four different auto manufacturers. There has also been four different pole winners in the qualifying sessions although none of them have found victory lane yet. You just can’t ask for better parity than that.

    The last time a streak like this occurred was back in 1986 when five races turned up five winners in five different cars. That distinguished streak list included: Geoffrey Bodine-Chevrolet, Kyle Petty-Ford, Terry Labonte-Oldsmobile, Morgan Shepherd-Buick and Rusty Wallace-Pontiac.

    *************

    The Auto Club 400 is the fifth race of the 2012 Sprint Cup season. That means the 2012 owner’s championship points will officially become effective this Sunday. Per NASCAR’s long time policy, all teams within the top 35 of the owner’s points are guaranteed a start in the next race on the schedule. This “golden transfer ticket” guarantees these teams have a starting berth in the race no matter what goes wrong during qualifying.

    In case you’re wondering, the answer is no: my opinion of this policy hasn’t changed. It should have been rescinded years ago. Racing is about performance. You’re either fast enough to make the starting field on qualifying day or you’re not. If some high profile Sprint Cup superstar has to pack up the hauler and go home early then that’s racing and the show goes on without him.

    If you examine the current top 35 in owner’s points, one name immediately jumps off of the page: Kasey Kahne. from Daytona to Bristol, the new driver for Hendrick Motorsports has been plagued with horrible racing luck that has deterred his highly anticipated arrival to one of NASCAR’s most prolific teams. If the bad luck strikes again at the Auto Club Speedway, then it’s very likely that Kahne’s team will no longer be in that coveted top 35. He goes into Sunday’s race ranked 34th in the owner’s standings and only seven points ahead of the team in 36th place. If bad racing luck strikes again at Fontana, and Kahne falls out of the top 35, he will have to earn a starting berth, for the next race at Martinsville,  based on qualifying speed with the group often referred to as “the go or go homers.” It’s not likely that this driver and this team will have a problem with qualifying, but it will be an additional layer of concern and stress for an organization that already endured its fair share.

    ***********

    You can seriously expect to hear, and read, stories about a make over for the Bristol Motor Speedway That would be the old Bristol versus the new Bristol versus a return to the old Bristol. Earlier in the week, Speedway Motorsports Inc, (SMI), Chairman Bruton Smith was making a lot of comments indicating he was seriously thinking about spending an estimated $1 million to return his race track to its original configuration before it was changed back in 2007.

    Last Wednesday, Smith did a live interview on the Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s NASCAR Channel and announced his intent to proceed with the planned changes and said it was based on a survey that said approximately 75% of the fans wanted the old, racing is rubbing, Bristol returned. Smith said, at the the time, that there were people working on it even as he spoke about it. He also said that all of the engineering records, and other pertinent data regarding the old configuration were kept and the track renovation could easily be completed by the next race there scheduled for August 25th. Smith admitted that he was disappointed with the 102,000 plus attendance figures at last Sunday’s Bristol race and he wanted to to see the return of 165,000 clamoring for tickets as they did in the past.

    Driver reaction to this move indicates that they believe other options should be looked at first before this diverse change is made. Again, expect a lot of back and forth commentary on this hot topic during the Fontana weekend.

    **************

    I suppose we will also hear about the final dregs of last Tuesday’s appeals hearing involving Hendrick Motorsports. These opinions will largely be media based because most of the drivers have seemingly been very guarded with their comments. Whether you agree or disagree with the final appeals ruling, it’s time to let the sleeping dog lie and move on.

    That’s exactly what Jimmie Johnson has been doing. The reinstatement of his championship points last Tuesday once again has his championship effort back on track. Jimmie “Five Time” is once again placing his focus on becoming Jimmie “Six Pack.” The number six has another significant meaning for this driver. He has a series high five wins at the Auto Club Speedway and plans to pick up number six this Sunday.

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    THE LAS VEGAS BREAKDOWN

    To determine who is going to have fun in Fontana this Sunday, we once again turn to the number crunching professionals from the Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, (WSE).

    To no real surprise, the WSE Auto Club Speedway rankings are led by Jimmie Johnson at 7 to 1 odds. There’s one basic reason for this: his numbers at Fontana are just simply awesome. The #48 team stats include five wins, 12 top five finishes, 13 top tens along with an amazing 5.1 average finish ratio, (AFR). Johnson also has a strong sentimental tie with the Auto Club Speedway, he won his first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup event there back in 2002. You won’t find a stronger wager choice than this driver.

    At 8 to 1 odds you will find the trio of Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. Kyle Busch is a previous Auto Club Speedway winner but that win occurred seven years ago when he was driving for Hendrick Motorsports. He does have five top fives and nine top tens and a 12.0 AFR. However the Joe Gibbs Racing driver seems to be experiencing a slow start so far in 2012. In four starts he only has one top ten finish and is 15th in the points. But this is Kyle Busch and the law of averages says he will make quick work of turning things around and that process could begin in Fontana. Consider him a good long shot wager .

    Carl Edwards is a member of Roush Fenway Racing, an organization that has enjoyed success at the Auto Club Speedway including seven wins. Edwards has his own set of impressive Fontana numbers including a win along with six top fives, 11 top tens and a healthy 9.0 AFR. He’s also a wager worth considering.

    Ranked seventh in the points, Tony Stewart is also a strong wager consideration who is off to a good 2012 start for a driver who usually catches fire in the late summer. He has a previous win, back in 2010, at the Auto Club Speedway along with five top fives, 11 top tens and a 14.1 AFR in 20 starts. He also has a very good 100.1 driver rating at this track.

    In the WSE 9 to 1 category you will find the tandem of Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth. Jeff Gordon is likely a long shot wager despite the fact that he’s a three time winner at the Auto Club Speedway including the very first Sprint Cup race there. However his last win in Fontana was back in 2004, but along the way he has accumulated ten top fives, 11 top tens and a respectable 11.2 AFR.

    When it’s springtime in Fontana Matt Kenseth seems to catch fire. He has three wins at the Auto Club Speedway with all three of them occurring during the spring months. He also has eight top fives, 13 top tens, a 9.9 AFR and zero did not finishes in 19 starts. His driver rating at this speedway is also a very high 107.2. The 2012 Daytona 500 winner is off to a great start this season and is currently ranked third in the points. Also don’t overlook the fact that he’s driving a Roush Fenway Racing Ford with a Roush Yates engine under the hood. At 9 to 1 odds, Matt Kenseth is a very good bet.

    All by himself, at 10 to 1, is “The Closer.” Kevin Harvick’s single win at the Auto Club Speedway was the aforementioned event last year when he stole the show from Jimmie Johnson. In 18 Fontana starts, he has three top fives, eight top tens and a 16.2 AFR. He’s off to a good start this season and is currently ranked second in the points. Consider him to be a good long shot wager.

    At 12 to 1 is the duo of Greg Biffle and Brad Keselowski. Biffle is off to a strong start so far this season and currently leads the points standings. He’s a former Auto Club Speedway winner with four top fives and five top tens with a 17.9 AFR. Biffle is a driver with a lot of strong momentum going for him in the still early year that’s enhanced by the fact that he also drives one of those high powered Roush Fenway Fords. Consider him a very good long shot wager.

    Brad Keselowski has three goose eggs at Fontana and a terrible 24.3 AFR. That being said, remember this is Bad Brad and if that Penske Dodge is handling right he could be a factor on Sunday. His Bristol numbers weren’t that good either but we all saw what he did last weekend.

    Turning now to the WSE’s middle tier, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin shares the 15 to 1 ranking. Kahne is a previous Fontana winner with four top fives, nine top tens and a decent AFR of 14.9. The Auto Club Speedway could be the location where he finally rids himself of that horrible early season racing luck.

    Fontana isn’t exactly one of Hamlin’s stellar tracks. He has a single top five finish and a 19.2 AFR in southern California.

    It wasn’t that many years ago when Dale Earnhardt said he thought they should blow up the Auto Club Speedway and start over. That sentiment is likely based on the numbers he’s compiled at Fontana. Earnhardt has three top fives, four top tens and a 21.7 AFR in 19 starts. There has been a lot of signs indicating that this team is rejuvenated but it’s not likely you’ll see many signs of it during the Auto Club 400.

    Looking now at the WSE’s lower tier for Sunday’s race, Clint Bowyer, previous race winner Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr completes a Michael Waltrip Racing trio ranked at 30 to 1 odds. The interesting aspect here is Bowyer. He’s still seeking his first win at Fontana, but he does have two top fives and seven top tens in 11 starts there. He also has a very good 10.6 AFR and a 92.3 driver rating. If you’re into stretching the longshot concept this could be your driver.

    Concluding the WSE rankings for the Auto Club 400, Ryan Newman and A J Allmendinger share the 35 to 1 rating. Jeff Burton and Joey Logano are rated 40 to 1while Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team mates Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya closes the list at 50 to 1. If you do not see your favorite drivers listed this week that means they are automatically listed  in the “others” category at 18 to 1.

    Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these numbers should be viewed for informational and entertainment purposes. They neither encourage or condone the placing of wagers on their events.

    If you’re located in or near the greater southern California then you may want to consider spending some of that gambling budget on race tickets and enjoy the Auto Club Speedway NASCAR weekend. They have a lot of budget value packages available that will save you more than enough money to go ahead and place a bet with the World Sports Exchange.

    *************

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The Auto Club 400 is 200 laps, 400 miles, around the Auto Club Speedway’s mammoth two mile, D shaped, oval.

    The race has 46 entries vying for the 43 starting positions. 11 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a starting berth in the race because they are currently outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speeds to make the race.

    Groundbreaking for the Auto Club Speedway was held in November of 1995 with the track opening in 1997. The first race, a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West event, was held in June of 1997 and won by Ken Schrader. At the same time the first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held and was won by Jeff Gordon.

    Since 1997, there has been 22 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at the Auto Club Speedway that has sent 15 different winners to victory lane. Jimmie Johnson leads the win list with five followed by Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth with three wins each. Hendrick Motorsports lead the team wins with nine. Kevin Harvick is the defending race champion.

    Kyle Busch holds the track qualifying record at the Auto Club Speedway, 188.405 MPH, set in February of 2005. He has also won a series high three pole positions there. Only one race has been won from the pole position at Fontana. That feat was accomplished by Jimmie Johnson in 2008. Eleven of the 22 races have been won from starting positions outside of the top ten.

    The Auto Club Speedway is 75 feet wide with a 15 foot apron. The four turns are banked at 14 degrees, The front stretch, measuring 3,100 feet, is banked at 11 degrees while the back stretch, measuring 2,500 feet, only has three degrees of banking. The speedway’s pit road is 2.200 feet long with 44 stalls. The pit road speed is 55 MPH. The Auto Club Speedway has seating for 92,000 fans.

    Weather could pose a problem for the Auto Club 400 this Sunday. The National Weather Service forecast for the Fontana area calls for cloudy conditions and a 50 percent chance of rain on race day. The Auto Club Speedway has a fleet of eight jet dryers available to them.

    The Auto Club 400 will be broadcast live by the Fox Network with the pre race show beginning at 230 pm eastern time. The race re-broadcast will be on Wednesday, March 28th, on SPEED at 12 pm et. The race will also be broadcast live on the MRN, the Motor Racing Network, and on Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s NASCAR Channel 90.

  • Michael McDowell Races to California on a Wing and a Prayer

    Michael McDowell Races to California on a Wing and a Prayer

    [media-credit name=”Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR ” align=”alignright” width=”218″][/media-credit]NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Michael McDowell is headed across the country, on a wing and a prayer, to Auto Club Speedway for this weekend’s race festivities.

    McDowell will be piloting his No. 98 Ford Fusion for Phil Parson/Curb-Agajanian Racing in California, thanks to a faith-based partnership with the Christian radio network K-LOVE and Curb Records.

    This unique sponsorship mixes McDowell’s passion for his faith, K-LOVE’s commitment to outreach, and Curb Records support of several Christian recording artists.

    “This year, we’ve been fortunate enough to get Curb Records and K-LOVE, a syndicated Christian radio network, to come on board,” McDowell said. “The cool thing about these partnerships is that there are things that I want to be involved, in not just from a racing standpoint but also personally.”

    As with all sponsorship opportunities, the partnership started with an introduction that expanded into a solid relationship. For McDowell, the K-LOVE introduction was made by his friends at Motor Racing Outreach and grew from there.

    “On the K-LOVE side of things, they invited my wife and I to come on the K-LOVE cruise,” McDowell said. “Right before Daytona, they have a Christian cruise, like a music cruise, to the Bahamas.”

    “There happened to be an opportunity where K-LOVE wanted to be involved in NASCAR, not just from the racing perspective but also from the outreach perspective,” McDowell continued. “So, the other partners that came on board with K-LOVE made the sponsorship possible.”

    “It’s cool how it all comes together.”

    The partnership officially started this season at Daytona, where McDowell, working with friend and fellow Christian Trevor Bayne, raced his way into the show.

    “The reach that we had in Daytona was huge,” McDowell said. “I got to work with my buddy Trevor Bayne a lot and we got a lot of exposure.”

    “Because of that K-LOVE has seen a huge response to their sponsorship and message,” McDowell continued. “They will actually have a K-LOVE booth set up in the fan zone at several of the upcoming races.”

    This past weekend in Bristol, McDowell and his team launched a new promotion with his sponsors. The campaign is called “Let It Start With Me” and is dedicated to bringing the gospel message to the NASCAR community.

    “One of Curb Record’s artists No Other Name had a single called “Let It Start With Me,” McDowell said.  “The message behind it is instead of waiting for someone else to do it or get behind a cause, it should start with me.”

    “Let me be the one that goes out and does it.”

    McDowell and his team are now set to head to the other side of the country to race at Auto Club Speedway in California. And he admits that they need prayers to cope with the intense travel schedule, especially with such a small team.

    “You go from Daytona, which got rain delayed so you’re already behind the eight ball,” McDowell said. “We only have five or six guys in the shop so when we lose a day, we lose a lot.”

    “Then we went to Phoenix and Vegas without coming home and then to Bristol,” McDowell continued. “And now off we go to California.”

    “So, it’s pretty crazy.”

    In addition to his faith, McDowell’s family, including his wife and three year old son, are also helping to cope with the rigorous racing schedule. And the driver announced that he has additional plans to add to his brood.

    “My wife and I travel together with our three year old son to all the races,” McDowell said. “For us, we drive to all the races ourselves in the motor home.”

    “My wife is expecting and is due in October,” McDowell continued. “And we are also still in the process of adopting two children from Honduras. That too is an opportunity to share that there are kids out there that need adopted and need a family to care for them.”

    From his family to the race track, McDowell is blending his faith and sponsorship in unique ways that are most personal to him.

    “This is so different from anything I’ve done in the past,” McDowell said. “This is something that I’m passion about, Christian music and outreach in particular.”

    “To be able to partner with other like-minded groups is huge for me,” McDowell continued. “It’s natural and no one has to twist my arm to show up.”

    “For me, this is who I am, what I believe in and what I’m passionate about,” McDowell said.

    “It’s where I want to be with it.”

  • Problems and Solutions – NASCAR’s Bad Start

    Problems and Solutions – NASCAR’s Bad Start

    Never let it be said that I don’t have an opinion. The events of the past week have been monumental for NASCAR. I think a lot of folks don’t realize that what has happened will change the way things are done inside the sanctioning body in Daytona Beach for a long time. Can you imagine that the day would come where a track owner would poll the fans to see what they wanted? Can you imagine the day when the sanctioning body would be embarrassed by its own hand-picked appellate officer? Lots of questions and more surprise and confusion.

    NASCAR, though they are a dictatorship, has always prided itself as being fair. It doesn’t always appear that way, but that is the intention. Early on, they appointed an appeals committee made up of respected industry insiders. Teams also had the right to appeal to a one-man judge who could overturn any penalties somewhat like the United States Supreme Court of Appeals, except in this case, it’s not seven judges, but only one. NASCAR has always appointed former industry officials for this office. I can remember it was once Bunky Knudson, the former Pontiac and Ford CEO, and since it didn’t seem to matter over the years, I didn’t pay much attention after that. It seems that no matter how fair CAO John Middleton was in his decision in the Hendrick Motorsports/Chad Knaus vs. NASCAR case, some things were not well thought out.

    Fans will immediately take sides because that is their nature, but NASCAR left some holes in their thinking. Why in the world would you name an executive from a manufacturer as your CAO? Further, why would you name an officer who had a personal relationship with some of the principals? Apparently Rick Hendrick spoke at Middlebrook’s retirement dinner. I’m not saying that this had anything to do with the decision, but it opens up a lot of questions in the minds of fans, other teams, and the media. What were they thinking? The fallout will be huge. Every penalty will be appealed to the CAO and the minute that someone, anyone, doesn’t get a “get out of jail free card” like the Hendrick team did, it will inevitably be because they weren’t John Middlebrook’s friend.

    The boys in Daytona Beach have a lot of thinking to do over the next few months. What did they do wrong? Why did a panel of many decide the penalty should stand while the appellate officer decided that the penalty should be reduced? Why was the fine allowed and the points penalties and suspensions be waived, given the reputation of the principals involved? Complicating all of this is the fact that we’ll never know. If one appeals to the US Supreme Court (in the example I used earlier), there is a paper trail that reveals the thinking of the court. In this case, I don’t imagine anything else will come to light as to the thinking of the CAO. Game over and maybe game on.

    This brings us to the whole Bristol Motor Speedway situation. The half full racetrack over the weekend, which I have commented on earlier, apparently struck a nerve with Speedway Motorsports owner Bruton Smith. After earlier statements that the low crowd, about half capacity regardless of what the “official” estimates were, was caused by bad weather (it rained in the morning, but cleared up for the race), the attendance at Saturday’s Nationwide race should have given the brain trust a clue. The near empty campgrounds should have been another clue. Smith has his underlings conduct a Twitter and email poll on what the fans wanted. The result was over 70% of fans not only didn’t like what they saw, but demanded that the track be put back in the configuration it was before the 2007 reconfiguration of the track. Always wanting to give the fans what they want, Smith declared last night that it would be done. How refreshing was that? But the media and some drivers protested. Smith was firm. “The fans are always right,” Smith said. We’ll see if it really happens, but I applaud Smith for listening to fans and not the competitors. Fans pay the bills, and over the weekend, not many were there. Yes, a crowd of 80,000 is pretty good, but in a place built for twice that, it had to hurt.

    So for a year that started with a rain out, a big Monday night prime time race that had great ratings, and finally a great facility that appears to be decline. Lots of problems everywhere.

    In my opinion, it’s a cop-out to blame everything on the economy as has been done for so long over these last four years. It’s time for the sanctioning body to take the bull by the horns. Bruton Smith reacted swiftly and decidedly, as he always does. It’s time for NASCAR to do the same I hope they do. I think they will, but all is not rosy.

  • NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut of the next generation’s driver, Jeb Burton

    NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut of the next generation’s driver, Jeb Burton

    [media-credit name=”jebburton.com” align=”alignright” width=”244″][/media-credit]It is safe to say that racing at any level is a family affair. NASCAR drivers are normally born from a blood line that produces super stars past, present and future. The generations stem from Earnhardt, Petty and Allison, just to name a few.

    When you hear the name Burton, one would immediately think of Jeff Burton, driver of the #31 Cat car for Richard Childress Racing (RCR) or Ward Burton, who drove for the #22 Cat car for Bill Davis racing in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

    The newest driver of the Burton family is Jeb Burton, Ward Burton’s oldest son. Jeb will be 20 this year and will be making his rookie debut on March 31st in the Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway driving the Hilman Racing no. 27 State Water Heaters Chevrolet.  Although Jeb has limited experience, he will have veteran crew chief Trip Bruce, who has worked in the past with drivers Johnny Benson and Kasey Kahne, to help him along the way.

    Jeb is scheduled to compete in five more NCWTS events after his debut at Martinsville.  He heads to Rockingham Speedway (4/15), Kansas Speedway (4/21), Lowes Motor Speedway (5/18), Dover International Speedway (6/1) and then Texas Motor Speedway (6/8).

    Jeb enjoys hunting, fishing, riding jet skis and ATV’s.  His favorite college teams are Virginia Tech Football and Duke Basketball.  His favorite pro team is the Carolina Panthers. His favorite video game is Madden 2012. Of course his first love and passion is racing. His ultimate goal is to work his way up in this series, to be competitive, respected and known for his talents on the track.

    Being a rookie at any level is exciting but can obviously be nerve racking as well and must stay focused on his goals. Like many drivers today, Jeb grew up at the race tracks watching his dad, Ward Burton race.  In 2002 he witnessed dad win the “Great American Race”, the Daytona 500.  I remember seeing Jeb in victory lane alongside his Dad during the glorious celebration.  Now it is Jeb’s time to shine and make a name for himself and carry on the Burton family tradition.

    Mark your calendars for March 31st, to see Jeb make his debut in the NCWTS at Martinville Speedway.

    You can also follow Jeb on Twitter (@JebBurtonRacing). Like dad (Ward) and Jeff, Jeb is very hands on with his fans. He loves the following and appreciates all the support this opportunity affords him. There are still sponsorship opportunities available as well.

    If you or someone you know would be interested in playing a part in sponsorship Jeb and the no. 27 State Water Heaters Chevy log on to his website www.jebburton.com. Click the sponsorship tab and it will provide you with all the information you need to become a part of this team in one or another. Jeb and his family are true believers that say “if it weren’t for the fans, we couldn’t do what we love to do”.

    Please show your support follow Jeb on Twitter (@JebBurtonRacing), check out his website and watch his first race on March 31st!

    If you have a question and cant find the answer, contact me and I will do what I can to get the information you need to keep the no. 27 team going strong!

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”229″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth doggedly chased Brad Keselowski to the finish at Bristol, but could never catch the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. The runner-up result gave Kenseth his second top-5 finish of the year, and boosted him two places in the Sprint Cup point standings to third.

    “As his number of followers would suggest,” Kenseth said, “Keselowski is fast becoming America’s ‘Tweet-heart.’ And, no, that’s not my Ward Button impression. Keselowski even Tweeted a photo from victory lane. That’s impressive. He may be the only NASCAR driver who can ‘phone it in’ and still be successful.

    “Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t jump a restart midway through the race to get in front of Keselowski. Oh no. I was trying to get as far away from Brian Vickers as possible.”

    2. Greg Biffle: Biffle started on the pole at Bristol and led 41 early laps before handling issues stymied his efforts to stay out front. He finished 12th and remained atop the Sprint Cup point standings, with a nine-point lead over Kevin Harvick.

    “That breaks my string of third-place finishes,” Biffle said. “Still, my average finish is sixth. And let’s be honest, nothing says ‘average’ quite like ‘Greg Biffle.’”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was caught up in a lap 24 spin between Regan Smith and Kasey Kahne that collected seven cars, including Harvick’s No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet. Despite extensive damage, Harvick salvaged an 11th at Bristol, and remained second in the point standings, nine behind Greg Biffle.

    “Say what you will about Kahne,” Harvick said, “but he was the only Hendrick Motorsports driver who was a factor in the race. Just a few months ago, he was apologizing to breastfeeding mothers. Now, he’s apologizing to expectant fathers. No wonder he’s the ‘red-headed stepchild’ of HMS.”

    4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished ninth at Bristol, scoring his third-straight top-10 finish. It was likely Johnson’s last race with crew chief Chad Knaus before Knaus serves his six race suspension

    “NASCAR seems to be unusually vigilant where Knaus is concerned,” Johnson said. “Call it an episode of ‘Queer Eye For The Not-So-Straight Guy,’ if you will. This being March, I’m surprised NASCAR didn’t accuse Chad of having an illegal ‘bracket’ of some sort.

    “But I’ll manage without Chad. He’ll return in six weeks rejuvenated. I hear he’s taking a vacation to a mysterious locale. If NASCAR officials ask us where he is,Chad’s instructed us to wink and simply say ‘parts unknown.’”

    5. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished third at Bristol, leading a parade of Michael Waltrip Racing cars in the top 5. Teammates Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers came home fourth and fifth, respectively, and Truex jumped four places in the point standings to fourth, 18 out of first.

    “Michael Waltrip has assembled quite an organization here,” Truex said. “And, he’s quite entertaining on Showtime’s ‘Inside NASCAR.’ So, that’s at least two things that Michael’s better at being behind than a steering wheel: a desk and a microphone.”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski dominated at Thunder Valley, leading 231 laps and holding off Matt Kenseth to win the Food City 500 at Bristol. The young Penske Racing driver proved that last fall’s Bristol win was no fluke, and gave Dodge its first win of the year.

    “The Sprint Cup championship is obviously a goal,” Keselowski said. “But that goal is secondary to reaching 1,000,000 followers on Twitter. As a social media hound, I want to get social medieval on the web’s behinds.

    “Of course, there are those that say my penchant for social media interaction can only spell my downfall where the Cup is concerned. Those people are on Facebook, and they believe the writing is on the ‘wall.’”

    7. Tony Stewart: Stewart had a top-10 Bristol finish in sight until he was punted into the wall on lap 479 when Brendan Gaughan’s brakes failed. Stewart limped home in 14th, and remained seventh in the point standings, 27 out of first.

    “If he continues to wreck superstars like me,” Stewart said, “Gaughan will be out of NASCAR before long. That’s why he’s earned the nickname ‘Going, Going’ Gaughan.”

    8. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt survived a run-in with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon to post a 15th-place finish in the Food City 500. Earnhardt was nabbed for speeding on pit road late in the race, an infraction that likely cost him a top-10 finish. He is now tied for fifth in the point standings, 20 out of first.

    “What’s Gordon’s biggest complaint about Diet Mountain Dew?” Earnhardt said. “It tastes ‘flat.’”

    9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started 20th at Bristol and finished in the same position, victimized by handling issues and long green runs that left little opportunities for adjustments. He dropped two spots in the point standings to fifth, and trails Greg Biffle by 20 points.

    “I’m tied in the point standings with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.,” Hamlin said. “I made a race out of going nowhere fast; Junior’s made a career of it.”

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer, in the 5-Hour Energy No. 15Toyota, finished fourth at Bristol, joining Michael Waltrip Racing teammates Martin Truex, Jr. and Brian Vickers in the top 5. Bowyer improved five places in the point standings to eighth and is 31 out of first.

    “I’m confident this car will soon be in Victory Lane,” Bowyer said. “When that happens, I promise to douse everyone there with 5-Hour Energy drink, which may, in fact, take five hours.”

  • Danica Patrick to take on Prelude to the Dream

    Danica Patrick to take on Prelude to the Dream

    [media-credit id=24 align=”alignright” width=”219″][/media-credit]Danica Patrick announced that she would be running in this year’s prelude to the dream. A lot of people were concerned about her running it, however her Sprint Cup Series car owner Tony Stewart says he’s excited about it.

    “I told her ‘don’t feel like you have to come do this,” he says. “She said ‘No, I really want to do this.’ I’m excited for her.  I don’t think it’s something that she has had a chance to do very much.  It will be fun to get her in an environment that is definitely new to her for sure.”

    The Prelude to the Dream is an event which takes professional stock car drivers from different forms of racing and puts them on the Eldora Speedway dirt track in late models. Te event is also used to raise money for charity.

    Stewart, who runs Eldora Speedway, has already said that he will give her some lessons before he lets her loose on the dirt track.

    Jeff Gordon is also looking forward to seeing her on the dirt as he says, “It’s a fun event. Those cars are a blast to drive.”

    This event will mark her first time racing on a dirt track so many are curious to see how she will do in comparison to what she’s done in IndyCar and NASCAR.

    Well it may be nice to have her out there to help raise money for charity, it may hurt her learning curve in NASCAR. So far this season, her best finish is a 12th at Las Vegas while her other three finishes have been outside of the top 15. Is spending the time to learn a new form of racing taking away from learning in a stock car? Should she focus on honing her skills?

    However, considered how she has handled a loose race car, the hopes don’t look like high for her as an early wreck is predicted. In that respect, it may be a good learning experience as drivers have said that they’ve learned how to drive a loose race car via their dirt background.

    While the future may look daunting, she will have the best of the best in the form of the tack owner teaching her so anything is possible.

    The eighth annual Prelude to the Dream is schedule for Wednesday June 6th. Fans can buy tickets or watch the race live on HBO Pay-Per-View at 8pm EST.

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: CALIFORNIA HERE I COME

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: CALIFORNIA HERE I COME

    [media-credit name=”Patrick McBride” align=”alignright” width=”244″][/media-credit]The original title of this article was scheduled to be: CALIFORNIA HERE I COME (NOT !!!!!!)

    That’s because it was truly believed by every NASCAR observer on the planet that the proposed penalties against Hendrick Motorsports’ #48 team were going to be upheld following a failed technical inspection prior to the Daytona 500. That meant that crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec were indeed going to be under suspension for six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events and would not be on duty, business as usual,  this weekend at the southern California based Auto Club Speedway.

    Their presence in California this weekend stems from a stunning decision made March 20th by Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook who overturned the decision, made just one week prior, by the National Stock Car Racing Commission. That three member commission upheld NASCAR’s original penalties that included loss of driver and owner’s championship points, the six event suspension for Knaus and Malec, plus a $100,000 fine levied on Knaus.

    The latest Chad Knaus related drama for Hendrick Motorsports stems from a February 17th technical inspection, prior to the the initial practice session for the Daytona 500, when it was discovered that the car’s C posts, sheet metal strips that connects the roof to the rear quarter panels, did not appear to be within the measurement tolerance.

    Team owner Rick Hendrick immediately filed an appeal and, when the penalties were upheld by the commission panel, he then exercised his right to present his case in front of the appellate officer. From a prepared statement, Middlebrook released the following findings:

    1. Rescinding the loss of 25 Sprint Cup Series championship car points for Jeff Gordon.

    By the way, Gordon is officially listed as the owner of record of the Hendrick Motorsports #48 team. The decision to reinstate the owner’s points moves the #48 team from 17th to 12th in the owner’s championship standings.

    2. Rescinding the loss of 25 Sprint Cup championship points for Jimmie Johnson.

    This particular portion of the Middlebrook decision is huge for Johnson and his team. Between a lap two crash in the Daytona 500, combined with the loss of the 25 points from the penalty, Johnson began the 2012 championship run at the bottom of list posting negative points numbers. Three consecutive top ten finishes improved his ranking to 17th. The reinstatement of the 25 championship points moves him to 11th in the standings and once again places him in contention to make the Chase.

    3.  Rescinding the six Sprint Cup Series championship events suspension for the crew chief, Chad Knaus, and car chief, Ron Malec, however both will remain on NASCAR probation until May 9th.

    Obviously this is also huge for Knaus and Malec. They get to remain with their team and do their jobs completely free of the distraction of potential penalties. This is a far better situation that spending the next six races monitoring the #48 team’s progress via computer while telephoning instructions to their substitute counterparts. You really didn’t think they were going to just sit home and relax did you?

    4. $100,000 fine remains in place for the crew chief Chad Knaus.

    If the first three Middlebrook decisions were regarded as being stunning, then this fourth edict, was, at the very least, perplexing. To many observers it seemed unusual that all of these penalties would be rescinded except this one. Perhaps it’s a warning to Knaus to refrain from the temptations of seeking some sort of competitive advantage for his race car anytime in the near future. After all, it’s not exactly his first time sitting in the NASCAR hot seat. In the past he has managed to compile nine penalties and has been suspended three times. March 20th was actually the second time hes successfully won an appeal.

    So what was so different, between two appeals hearings one week apart, that led to this stunning reversal of fortune for Hendrick Motorsports? Unless somewhat makes public statements regarding the closed door hearing we may never know the true answer to that question.

    However, you can’t help but wonder if a major factor was the strong defense, and the preparation behind it, presented by Rick Hendrick. All along Hendrick has contended that this was the same race car that ran all four restrictor plate races at Talladega and Daytona last year. It was the same car that won the spring race at Talladega. He also pointed out that, between initial presentations at the NASCAR garage tech center to post race inspections, this same car had been examined at least 19 times. Hendrick reportedly arrived at the final appeals hearing loaded with administrative evidence to support that claim that included 15 pages of documentation, approximately 20 photographs and three official affidavits.

    Yet another aspect was the fact that the car’s questionable C posts were discovered by NASCAR officials via a visual inspection while it was parked in the tech line. The posts were removed and confiscated by officials. Hendrick had to contact their shop in Charlotte-North Carolina, order another set of C posts and have them flown to Daytona via a private plane.

    The fact that the car was never rolled into the technical center was another major point in Hendrick’s defense presentation. It’s already being suggested that NASCAR officials perhaps made a tactical error at this point by not completing the full inspection procedures. Inside of the tech center officials could have used a special template device, often referred to as “the claw,” that could have been implemented to determine if the posts were indeed a violation of the rules.

    So, is this controversial issue finally over? Not quite. There will be a lot of back and forth debate from the media and the fans that will last probably until next Saturday. That’s when it will likely start to fade away.

    Hendrick said “it’s been a long 30 days and I’m glad it’s over.” Driver Jimmie Johnson probably put it best, in a “Twitter” message when he wrote: “I’m glad this is over, now it’s on to Cali.” This “Tweet” was responded to by a fan who wrote: “whoo hoo ! I got 25 fantasy points back.”

  • Chad Hackenbracht Gets Off to a Good Start Early in ARCA Season

    Chad Hackenbracht Gets Off to a Good Start Early in ARCA Season

    [media-credit name=”CGH Motorsports” align=”alignleft” width=”280″][/media-credit]While watching a race from Daytona on television, Chad Hackenbracht became interested in racing and told his parents he wanted to race.

    “They told me to brush it off over a couple of weeks,” he tells the story. “After a couple of months, I said ‘What’s going on? Am I going to race?’.”

    His parents told him to come up with some possible options to go racing in, to which he responded go-karts and four wheelers. His parents turned both of those options down.

    “My mom said no to four-wheelers,” he continues. “My dad said no to the go-karts just because they don’t have seat belts. So when you wreck, the object is to get away as far as possible from the kart by flying out of it.”

    The end result was the family buying a quarter midget to race in the Mid Western Quarter Midget Association to begin his career.

    Flash forward to the present day and Hackenbracht is now a competitor in the ARCA Racing Series for CGH Motorsports, currently sitting third in points.

    With points leader Cale Gale not expected to compete in all the races this season, Hackenbracht currently sits second of the full-time series drivers, 10 points behind Brennan Poole.

    “So far, we’ve run really well,” he says. “Daytona is sort of a crapshoot and we were running pretty good, got shuffled out to the outside. But we came out with a clean racecar, ready to go to Talladega.”

    Last weekend at Mobile, Gale scored another second place finish while Cale Gale went on to win the race.

    “We’re really satisfied with that so far,” he says. “Can’t really ask for too much more.”

    He is also on track with his expectations for 2012 as he expects to run in the top five while contending for the championship.

    Before they can get to that point, he is hoping that a sponsor comes on board.

    “Right now, we don’t know what races we’re going to and what races we’re not going to,” he comments.  “So it’s kind of tough and nerve-wracking as a driver not knowing where you’re going to race.”

    That’s why it’s important to get off to a good start, but also so that way they’re not in a hole.

    “When you’re trying to work your way up in points from 40th, it just makes for a long year,” he says. “It takes a lot more to get up front if you don’t start at the beginning of the season.”

    If things come together, Hackenbracht and team are ready to head to Salem Speedway next month.

    “If we go there, I picture a win because every time we’ve been there the past few times, we’ve run top five and had the fastest car all day long,” he says. “We have just had something mechanical happen. So expectation is definitely a win and top five qualifying, but hopefully we can come out of there with a good finish and maybe the points lead.”

    A lot of people looked to Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports to have a successful 2012 season based on last year.

    Last season, he scored three top fives and 10 top 10s on his way to finishing eighth in points and impressing many people near the end of the season due to being a small, family-based team. Hackenbracht doesn’t consider it being a bad position to be in.

    “It’s not too tough when you have the right people, and I think we definitely do,” he says. “We’re definitely a small organization – we’ve only got three full-time guys. Kevin Reed came over from Venturini (Motorsports) and he’s done really well. He’s definitely stepped up our program. It’s not really tough to run against any so-called big name teams because once you get out there, it’s up to the driver. If you have the ability, then you’re going to be able to run with them.”

    Hackenbracht says one of the biggest lessons he learned last year was patience.

    “You’ve got 200 laps on these short tracks and you don’t need to going all out racing somebody for three or four laps, wearing out your equipment on lap 100,” he explains. “You don’t really have to use your equipment because it gets really hectic there at the end and that’s where you start getting the runs and able to go for the win with about 50 to go.”

    The patience factor is something he has in common with his racing hero – Mark Martin.

    “He’s a real clean racer and everyone sort of respects him and there’s not too much controversy surrounding him,” he says.

    For more information on Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports, please visit ChadHackenbracht.com and CGHMotorsports.com. 

  • Hendrick Motorsports Wins Appeal, Erases Points Penalty and Suspensions

    Hendrick Motorsports Wins Appeal, Erases Points Penalty and Suspensions

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”216″][/media-credit]On March 20th, Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook heard the appeal from Hendrick Motorsports and adjusted the penalties.

    On opening day of inspection at Daytona International Speedway on February 17th, the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team was assessed penalties after NASCAR deemed the c-posts to be illegal.  According to NASCAR, they broke Section 12-1 of the NASCAR Rule Book “Actions detrimental to stock car racing;”, Section 12-4(J): “Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the Race Equipment used in the Event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the NASCAR Rule Book, or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the Event;”, and Section 20-2.1(E): “If in the judgment of NASCAR Officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR that has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance, will not be permitted: Unapproved car body modifications”.

    After hearing Hendrick Motorsports’ appeal, Middlebrook erased the 25 owner point penalty assessed to car owner Jeff Gordon, the 25 driver point penalty assessed to Jimmie Johnson, the six week suspension to crew chief Chad Knaus and the six week suspension to car chief Ron Malec. The $100,000 fine penalty to Knaus remains in place along with the probation till May 9th for both Knaus and Malec.

    “I’m glad this is over,” team owner Rick Hendrick says. “I would have liked to have the fine gone too because there was no reason for any kind of penalty.”

    One of the arguments that Hendrick argued was that NASCAR didn’t give them a chance to work on the c-posts while at least three other teams were allowed to. Hendrick added that his team won the appeal as they had everything documented. They had a NASCAR official say that the c-posts were correct in a previous inspection and three sworn affidavits saying the c-posts were never touched on Johnson’s car from Talladega last year to Daytona this year.

    “There was no ill intent on our part,” Hendrick says. “We felt by the rulebook we were approved. By the rulebook the car was legal.”

    Hendrick Motorsports felt that they had a good appeal going in as NASCAR determined the car was illegal before being put under templates.

    “The templates were never actually put on the car,” Knaus said during his media appearance at Phoenix International Raceway. “It was a visual inspection at that point. We never even got the opportunity to actually present that under templates. It is unfortunate, there is a bit of subjectiveness to it and that is why we are going through the appeal.”

    Knaus said that would be brought up during the appeal, saying they would, “just have to talk about it at that point. NASCAR does a good job; they have a good set-up structure and a good set of standards that are in black and white, some areas that are not.”

    Knaus is relieved that it is over, feeling vindicated to a degree, but wishes the fine was also erased. He adds that he was torn up and shocked at the penalty as the car was inside the rules, saying, “We were 100 percent compliant with the rules.”

    A lot of people felt the penalties were directed towards the No. 48 team due to their reputation. Knaus says that he’s not worried about his reputation, but the personal digs did hurt.

    NASCAR says that they will respect the ruling that Middlebrook has delivered.

    “We believe in this process,” NASCAR spokesperson Kerry Tharp says. “I don’t think we made any mistakes. Our inspection process speaks for itself. It has worked very, very well in the garage for many years and it will work for many years to come.”

    Now with the points given back and with the No. 48 team now sittings 11th in points, 36 behind Greg Biffle, Knaus is ready to get on with the season.

    “I’m stoked,” he says. “I’m excited. I can’t wait to get to Fontana.”